To the Edge of the World and Back
by Kittendragon
Summary: Caspian can't accept Aslan's final ruling, and begs Aslan to return the Pevensies to him.In return for one year, he is given the chance to change the Pevensie siblings' fates. Will he be able to prove his worth, and get his lover back? Peter/Caspian.SLASH
1. Gone

I own nothing… Sadly. ;)

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"_Not coming back."_

Caspian stared in shock at the intertwined trees through which the old kings and queens of Narnia had just walked. What had Aslan meant when he'd said that?

"_They're not coming back."_

It couldn't be…it just couldn't. They were his companions, his friends! Skies above, one of them was his _LOVER _for Narnia's sake! How could they just _not_ return to him?

Quickly, Caspian's shock turned to anguish. How could they leave him? How could Aslan just _take _them from him?! It wasn't fair. It was beyond unfair, it was cruel.

"Your people await you, King Caspian," Aslan murmured to the shocked Telmarine. Caspian met the lion's unwavering gaze, and wondered if Alsan had known about his strong attachments the monarchs of old. He furrowed his brow at the lion, before schooling his features as best he could and turning to his new subjects.

"Are there any others who would choose to leave Narnia?" He asked, surprising himself with the strength in his voice. On the inside, Caspian could feel himself breaking. He was sure that, given the choice, he would have jumped at chance to follow the Pevensies through the gate.

None responded to his query, and so with a few more words of goodwill and a promise to build a better, more unified Narnia, Caspian dismissed the crowd and moved as quickly as propriety would allow back to the castle. Once inside, Caspian broke into a run, making a beeline to his chambers. He was vaguely relieved that he didn't encounter a single soul on his run. Heedless of the tears, which had been threatening to fall and were now streaming down his face, he burst into his chambers with enough force to bounce the heavy doors off the wall before he could catch them and slam them shut.

Turning from the doors to face his sitting room, Caspian was momentarily frozen, hoping beyond hope to hear a familiar voice from one of the other rooms in the chamber. He had been subconsciously hoping that it had all been a hoax, and that any minute Lucy, of Susan, or Pet…Edmund would come laughing out of the study or the bed…bathroom and smile at his look of worry, laughing at his gullibility.

Nothing.

Not a single sound reached his ears but for his own heart pounding in his chest. He held his breath for a few more agonizing moments, before letting loose a howl of anguish and rage.

_Gone! _

The rage overtook Caspian and his vision became a tunnel, zeroing in on everything in his line of sight that reminded him of the Pevensies…of his friends, his lover. He dropped P…the high king's sword to the ground as his body began to shake.

In a blind rage, Caspian charged to the low table in front of the settee, sweeping his arm across the surface and sending the tea set, with which he and Lucy had shared many afternoon teas over the past few days, crashing to the ground. He turned to a table between two straight-backed chairs, where he and Edmund had set up a chess set, and lifted it off the ground before throwing it across the room, the small ivory chess pieces scattering and shattering on the marble floor. His beloved crossbow, which he had used in his competition with Susan, was the next to go. Caspian used it to bash apart all of the flower vases and fragile statues in the room, before smashing it into a thousand pieces against a landscape portrait of Narnia which happened to be hanging on the wall. Heedless of his own screams, Caspian destroyed almost every trinket and piece of furniture in the room that wasn't too heavy for him to lift. He then moved to the bathroom, and repeated the process.

Storming out of the second bathroom door, covered in powders, soaps, and expensive oils, Caspian came face to face with his bedroom. His rage climbed higher than he had ever thought possible, fuelled by his sorrow upon seeing a room that had once held so many happy memories. Caspian drew his own sword and laid into every drape, book, and surface. After destroying the perimeter, he finally turned to the bed in the center of the room. Raising his sword above his head with a manic look in his eyes, he prepared to hack the bed to pieces and be done with every thought of the Pevensies, Narnia, and even Aslan.

He took a deep breath, planning to let out a final battle cry, when he suddenly faltered. Flashing before his vision he saw his lover. Lying naked in the middle of the bed asleep and content, they rested with a beautiful smile on their face and the sheets pooled at their feet. Caspian stumbled forward, falling to his knees at the edge of the bed. His sword clattered to the floor as he leaned against the side of the bed, sobs ripping their way out of his throat. He gripped the sheets in both hands and brought them to his face, still able to smell the last vestiges of his lover in their folds.

"Caspian," An ancient voice murmured behind the fallen king.

Caspian lifted his head, and slowly turned to find Aslan standing in the doorway to the bedroom. His expression changed to one of outraged grief, and he raised his right arm to point at the lion.

"_You,"_ Caspian growled. "You took them from me! _**How could you**_!? You took him from me!"

Caspian lunged at the lion, spewing profanities and beating his fists against Aslan's chest, which seemed to be much higher than he remembered. Aslan bore Caspian's blows silently, holding his head up above Caspian's reach and letting what little was left of Caspian's anger drain out of the young man's body. The blows slowly subsided, until Caspian simply gripped the lion's mane as he sank to the floor before the ultimate authority of Narnia.

"_Why?_" Caspian sobbed into the mane. Aslan sat and wrapped one of his paws around Caspian's waist, pulling the young man into a gentle embrace. "Why did you take them?"

"Do you mean _them,_ or do you really mean something else?" Aslan asked in his gentle, leading way. "You know that Lucy and Edmund will return. Is that not enough for you?"

Caspian shook and sobbed, afraid of confessing what was truly in his heart. Would Aslan shun him if the lion knew the truth? Did he already _know_ the truth, and was he just trying to get Caspian to say it out loud? And how cruel would that be to _know_ what was in Caspian's heart, and take it from him anyway? Either way, Caspian was sick of hiding anything from the lion. He searched his heart, and then gathered the strength needed to answer.

"_Him._ I mean _him._ Why did you take _him_ from me? Was I not good enough?" A new wave of sobs followed his last question, and Aslan gathered him tighter to his embrace.

"Oh, Caspian. It was never a matter of _good _or _bad._ Love is always good, no matter the form it comes in. No, it was a matter of _timing_. It was time for the Pevensies to return home, and for you to rightfully take over the rule of _your _people. The Narnians are part of your kingdom now, and you need to learn to rule them without the help of their former monarchs. When you are secure in your rule, Lucy and Edmund will join you once again."

"And Pe…Peter?" Caspian looked up longingly through his tear soaked lashes.

"Peter," Aslan said with a sigh, and Caspian's faint hope began to fade once again. "Peter will not return with Lucy, or with Edmund. He will never again return to Narnia."

Caspian gave a cry, and tried to struggle away from Aslan, but the ancient held fast to the struggling man and waited until the struggles had subsided before loosening his hold on the king. Caspian flopped to the floor, and Aslan stroked the hair out of his face with the back of his paw, before lying down beside the man and pressing their sides together, offering Caspian warmth and silent strength.

"I am sorry, Caspian."

"No you're not," Caspian breathed as he buried his face in Aslan's fur. "If you were sorry you'd give me back my heart."

"Would you like me to erase him from your memory? Would it really help if you gained your heart back by forgetting him? For that is the only way you'll get your heart back. I am truly sorry, but there is no way for you and Peter to be together here in Narnia."

"But you are law; surely you can give him back to me. Please Aslan, I'll do anything."

"Would you wish him dead?"

Caspian jolted at that. "Of course not!"

"The next time you see him, he will have died in his own world."

"No! Isn't there anything else? I'd travel to the ends of the earth for him."

The lion and the man sat in silence, their conversation hanging between them like a vast canyon. The only way across was a rickety old bridge, and it seemed that Caspian was the only one at the moment willing to cross it.

"Please. Send me to his world if he cannot come to mine. I'll find someone here to take my place and rule Narnia well. Aslan, I _love _him."

There were a few more moments of silence before Aslan finally spoke again.

"You really love him that much?" He asked, turning his great head to the young king lying in despair beside him. "You'd truly travel to the ends of the earth to be with him? Answer wisely, young king. This may very well affect you the rest of your life."

"My life has already been affected by what has happened these past few months. Yes, I would travel as far as I had to in order to get the high ki…to get _Peter_ back."

Aslan sat up, and Caspian followed his lead, once again feeling a glimmer of hope. His body shook, but he held his tongue, waiting for the lion's verdict.

"Alright young Caspian, I will offer you a compromise. _But _you **must** hold up your end of the bargain, or you will never again see Peter in this lifetime." Caspian nodded vigorously, his eyes fixed with Aslan's. "I will give you a year's time to establish a good rule here in Narnia. If, at the end of the year, you have proven that you can rule Narnia well on your own, I will send you a ship.

The bow of the ship shall bare the name '_Dawn Treader'_, and it will be able to hold you, a crew of your choosing, enough provisions for a long trip, as well as the two youngest Pevensies and a cousin of theirs."

Caspian's face began to shine as he imagined having Lucy and Edmund with him again. He could spend time with them! And ask them how their brother faired. Aslan's expression became even sterner, and Caspian's attention became more intent.

"_If_ the ship arrives, you are to take it and sail to the end of the world. You will find a gate there. If you have proven yourself worthy of the ship, and stayed true to the course set to you, the gate will give you one chance of pulling Peter and the other Pevensies back to you. _One chance_, King Caspian. If you fail in your quest, Peter will be lost to you until the end of days, and you shall return empty handed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Aslan! Thank you! Thank you," Caspian threw his arms around the lion's neck, and Aslan chuckled as he embraced the young man once again.

"I must leave you now. Do not worry about your chambers; they have been set to rights. I just want one more promise from you."

"Anything, Aslan," Caspian Promised as he rose to his feet.

"Try not to destroy anymore rooms while I'm away."

Caspian just laughed, tears of joy streaming down his face.

---

AN. Hello! Well, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. For those of you reading my other stories, I'm at a bit of a writer's block. I promise to return to them soon, but I've decided to stop trying to force the next chapters. I DO PLAN TO CONTINUE THEM, just not right now.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to write a bit on this story, and maybe actually finish a story for once. ;)

Please read and review!


	2. A Year in Exchange for Eternity

And so the days dragged on.

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and Caspian gathered his courage and tried to rule with understanding, fairness, and righteousness. He rallied his friends around him, Reepacheep, Trufflehunter and Trumpkin being the closest, and looked forward to the end of the year. He united the Narnians and Telmarines into a single court, and tried to return the Golden Age to his people.

He didn't know if Alsan would find him worthy at the end of the year, but he did his best and tried his hardest not to think about it…during his waking hours.

Nighttime was a different story completely.

At night, the young king tossed and turned in his bed. Sometimes, he would dream of the past. He would dream of battles and plotting uncles and crashing gates. He would wake in a sweat and try to remind himself that the time of Miraz and oppression had passed. At other times, he would dream of the possible future, one where he ruled alone until the end of his days, Alsan standing at the back of his court shaking his mighty head in disappointment as Caspian stared at the four empty thrones next to his. But of all these dreams of blood and failure, none of them were so bad as to even compare to the one he had on the night before the year's end.

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_Caspian stood in a place he did not recognize. He knew that it was not in Narnia, for the people were dressed too strangely, and the contraptions whizzing past him were more terrifying than any war machine he had ever seen. __The people were cold and unfriendly, and even the colors in this place were more dull and drab than the grayest gray in Narnia. He didn't like it. Not one bit._

_Suddenly through the crowd, Caspian saw a familiar face. Make that two familiar faces. Edmund and Lucy, dressed in clothes similar to the strange ones the rest of the people in the crowd were wearing, made a slow approach towards the young king. At first, Caspian smiled at them. He had been admittedly frightened in this large crowd of unhappy faces, and seeing the two young Pevensies was like seeing the sun after months spent in darkness. But, as the two youngest siblings came nearer to him, his smile slowly faded and died._

_Their faces were set in grave stares, and their eyes didn't light up upon seeing him. They walked with a somber, stately air that spoke of verdicts and harsh reality. With a start, Caspian realized that their righteous anger was directed, not behind him, but __**at**__ him. When they were no more than five feet away from him, Caspian felt himself start to tremble. He felt as if he was a criminal facing Edmund the Just, who had come to find him wanting and unworthy. Even Lucy looked at him with angry reproach, her valiant title calling to Caspian's mind words like 'battle' and 'righteous vengeance'. He didn't know what he had done to earn their ire, but he was terrified to find out. When they stopped barely two feet in front of him, Caspian was veritably shaking in fear and confused desperation. They matched their cold, angry eyes to Caspian's wide-eyed stare._

"_You've killed him," Edmund growled, his voice like rolling thunder. "How dare you."_

"_What?" Caspian breathed, unbelieving and confused. "Who?"_

"_How could you?" Lucy's voice was full of reproach. Caspian felt tears prick the backs of his eyes. He started to slowly shake his head in a desperate attempt of denial._

"_I don't understand. Where is Susan? Where is Peter?" Caspian felt like he was pleading._

"_Peter!" Edmund's voice broke from his mouth like lightening, striking Caspian in the face with its force. "As if you have __**any right**__ to ask about Peter! HOW DARE YOU!"_

"_Please! I don't understand!" Caspian didn't think he'd ever been __happier in his life that the person directing their anger at him didn't have a sword. He had the strongest feeling that, if Edmund had had his, the Just King would try to hack him into pieces before Caspian could so much as blink._

_Lucy stepped forward and placed a hand on Caspian's arm. "Caspian, don't lie. Please."_

_Her voice was so plaintive that Caspian started to doubt that he hadn't done anything wrong. He shook off the feeling quickly, and turned his attention down to Lucy._

"_Come," She murmured, and she and Edmund started leading him through the crowd and down what Caspian assumed was a street. _

_They seemed to walk for ages, the city scenery melting away to reveal a beautiful country side. It still wasn't as bright or as beautiful as Narnia, but if Caspian squinted he could see the resemblance in the trees. When they finally stopped, they stoo__d at the entrance of a great mansion. Sparing little thought to the outside, the youngest Pevensies led Caspian through the entrance and up a flight of grand stairs. All around, there were what Caspian could recognize as historical artifacts of the strange land dispersed throughout the house, but he had little time to stop with Lucy and Edmund dragging him down corridor after corridor. Again, Caspian felt as if he were traveling for ages, until they came to a solid, wooden door. With a last angry look at Caspian, Edmund gently turned the handle and pushed, leading both Caspian and Lucy through the large frame._

_Inside, Caspian found a bedroom. The furniture was grand and made of the same dark wood as the door. The bed, which took up a fair amount of the space in the room, had four massive posters and a canopy over the great mattress. The sheets, duvet, and canopy curtains were a beautiful, pure white. The whole room was so inviting that, at first, Caspian didn't realize that there were already two other occupants in the large room, not counting Edmund and Lucy._

_Sitting in a chair next to the bed, Caspian recognized the silhouette of Susan. Her silhouette, for she was cast into shadow by the setting sun outside the window, was slumped over the edge of the bed, her left arm under her head and her right arm outstretched towards the foot. She looked exhausted, and her right hand seemed to be clutching something entangled in the sheets. She wore a drab, gray dress that didn't seem to match Caspian's memory of her at all. Edmund and Lucy made their way over to her, and when she raised her head to look at them Caspian could see that she had been crying. Before he had a chance to even try and riddle out the cause for her distress, Susan's eyes caught his, and there was a moment of shock before a rage overtook her face. She sprung up and stormed across the room to him._

"_How dare you!?" She cried, lifting a hand to strike him across his cheek. The shock of the blow, more than the force itself, made Caspian's eyes water __for the second time during the dream. He tried to bring a hand up to cup his throbbing cheek, but Susan caught his wrist and wouldn't let go. Caspian stared at her. "Don't you __**dare**__ look at me like some wounded animal! You'll take any hurt I give you for killing my..!"_

"_Susan….stop. He hasn't killed me."_

_Everyone's head whipped around to look at the figure, which Caspian just now realized had continued to lie on the bed from the moment he'd entered the room. Susan snorted in disgust and moved back to the bed, dragging Caspian along with her as if she had forgotten that she still held his wrist in a tight grip. Caspian could feel his fingers going numb, but didn't dare speak up. He was sure she hadn't heard him gasp at the bedridden person's weak murmur. He was also sure he knew that voice, and that he didn't like where this dream was headed if the person on the bed was who he thought it was._

_Susan stopped right next to the bed, and then in a fit of anger turned back to Caspian, grabbing the back of his neck when he turned to look at her, and forcing him to face the prone figure._

"_This…This is what you've done," She snarled in his ear, just as his eyes widened and the figure murmured another, tired "Stop it."_

_In that moment Caspian's fears were confirmed. Lying in the bed, looking pale and sick and weak, was Caspian's reason for living. His sun, his heart, and truly his world world lay on a bed that was looking more and more like the last bed of a dying king._

"_Peter," Caspian choked out, and he would have fallen to his knees next to the bed if Edmund and Lucy hadn't latched themselves onto him and restrained him along with Susan, who still had a vicious grip on his neck and wrist. With their fingernails digging into his arms, back, and neck, they practically lifted Caspian off of his feet as the forced him to bend over the bed. When he tried to reach for Peter, the dug their nails further into his flesh to hold him, making the young king cry out. Peter, for all of his earlier protests, didn't seem to notice his siblings' harsh treatment now that he was face to face with Caspian._

"_Peter, what happened?" Caspian pleaded. Susan gave him a quick shake, digging her nails further into his neck. He refused to let the tears fall, trying to give all his focus to __Peter. Peter looked confused. He broke into a coughing fit, blood spattering his lips. When he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then dropped his hand back onto the bed, the red streaked gruesomely across the pristine white. Peter sighed and tried to smile, and Caspian felt the first of his tears fall, watched them splash on Peter's cheek. After a few ragged breaths, drawn in order to gather what little strength he had left, Peter raised his blood-streaked hand to Caspian's cheek. Caspian felt the wetness mix with his tears, and he started to quietly sob._

"_Well," Peter said weakly, "You wanted me to be with you forever, right?"_

_And then Edmund, Susan, Lucy leaned close to Caspian, whispering into his ears with deep, terrible voices that were not their own:_

"_Would you wish him dead, Son of Adam? The next time you see him, he will have died in his own world."_

_And as blood spilled out of Peter's mouth, his eyes rolling back into his head and his hand flopping to the bed, Caspian screamed._

"_Nooo...!"_

_---_

"OOOOOOO!!!"

Caspian sat bolt upright in his bed, his chest heaving and his face streaked with tears. He looked frantically around, taking several minutes to try and recognize where he was. When the first few seconds of panic had passed, he found himself back in his own room in Narnia. Though this should have calmed him, it actually made him more anxious, for upon seeing the empty bed next to him, his frantic heartbeat climbed.

He threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, throwing on his boots and riding cloak and leaving the rest. He dashed down the halls of his castle to the riding stables, ignoring his night guards in favor of saddling his horse and swinging himself into the seat. He galloped out of the courtyard and across the bridge, vaguely reminded of his night flight from Miraz's men those many months ago.

He rode hard through the night, through the woods, across the river, and over the planes. He rode all the way to Alsan's How, racing the sunrise as he flew across the once-battle field towards the ruins of the keep. Panting and crying, he jumped off of his horse, unsaddled and set it to graze, and scaled what was left of the rock face up to where he had once sat with his tutor. He slipped and slid and skidded a few times, but continued to climb. Part of him accepted the scrapes and cuts he received on his climb, feeling as if they were penance for some crime he must have committed but couldn't understand. When he experienced a rather nasty slip and skidded almost two feet back down the rock, he cried out at the hurt to his arms and stomach, but kept on climbing.

When, finally, he reached his destination, he threw off his cloak, ripped off his boots, and flung himself to the ground, howling and crying and shivering and bleeding, digging at the ground and flailing his body in a restless dance of sorrow.

"Peter!" He cried into the earth.

"PETER!" He screamed.

"_**PETER!"**_ He squealed in a voice so high and raw it was almost a screech.

And then he just screamed.

And Screamed.

And Screamed.

And when he had barely any voice left, he sobbed brokenly, face down in the soil and rock.

"Why is it that when I come for you, you've always just finished fighting, or screaming, or crying, Son of Adam?"

Caspian scrambled to his knees, and came face to face with a great lion.

"Alsan!" He cried, throwing himself at the lion, his sobs once again becoming half-hysterical. He babbled into the lion's mane at a fevered pace.

"Don't kill him! PLEASE don't let me kill him; don't make him die to come here! I couldn't stand causing him pain! They'll hate me, I know they will! Please Aslan…"

"Calm, Son of Adam. Who is it you're meant to kill?" Alsan's voice was patient.

"Peter!" Caspian cried out. "You told me that he would have to die to come here! I couldn't stand to cause him pain."

"Caspian, did it not occur to you that when you offered to go the end of the World, that you had made a pact that overrides the original ruling? You've devoted a year of your life to a good rule, and sacrificed everything of yourself in doing so. You never once demanded something for yourself, and even your dreams were sacrificed in this chance to get your love and his family back."

"You know about the nightmares?"

"Of course. This is my country, is it not? I asked you to make a trade. One year of your life as king and another year as a wandering traveler in return for your love and his family."

"So, he won't have to die in order to return? They won't hate me for forcing them to come back?"

"And what power would you have to force them? I'm sending you to offer them the choice. Any one of the Pevensies has the right to refuse you, though I doubt any of them will. Now, stop wasting your energies on idol fears. I need you strong for the voyage ahead."

"You're giving me the ship?"

"Why else would I have come? To reprimand you?"

Caspian blushed, and looked down. Alsan sighed.

"I think that your dreams of me have chastised you enough, and I would like to you know that I would never stand at the back of your court and thrust guilt upon you with no hope of redemption. Have I not always spoken to you about your transgressions, and presented you with ways of redeeming yourself even when I am not physically present?"

Caspian nodded, raising his eyes once again to meet Aslan's gentle gaze.

"Come, Dear one," Aslan said, and Caspian rose to his feet. "There is much to do, and not nearly enough time before you must leave on your voyage."

"Thank you, Alsan" Caspian murmured with sincere conviction. Aslan smiled, and moved forward to press his tongue to the young Telarine's forehead in a lion's kiss.

"You're welcome, my young king. Now, come."

And Caspian followed, finding the way back down the rock face, with Aslan as his guide, much easier than the way up.


	3. Let the Adventure Begin!

Disclaimer: The last time I checked, I was not a brilliant British man by the name of C.S. Lewis with a gift for writing children's literature. Nor have I ever been associated with J.R.R. Tolkien beyond my love of his Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Therefore, I do not own ANY of the Chronicles of Narnia characters. Please do not sue a struggling artist.

Thank you, and enjoy!

---

The trip back to the castle seemed to take even less time to Caspian than the frenzied ride to the How. Following Aslan and talking of the journey to come, Caspian felt a joy and a peace that had been lacking in his personal life for months. Walking through the main gates and handing his horse off to a stable hand, Caspian walked with Aslan through the courtyard and up the main steps to his hall. There, they met a very disgruntled Trumpkin and a concerned tutor.

"What in the whole of Narnia is going through that fool head of yours!?" Trumpkin exclaimed. "The whole castle has been in a frenzy since the night guard came running in hollering about your 'hasty flight'! Where were you? Where did you go?"

Caspian fought the blush that started rising up the back of his neck. He hadn't thought about what people would think if their king just rode off at ungodly hours into a dark wood (though you wouldn't blame him, if you had dreamt a similar dream to the one that chased the Telmarine out of bed in the first place). A low rumble, which Caspian assumed must be a lion equivalent to a chuckle, sounded deep in Aslan's chest.

"Peace, my friend. Caspian was needed elsewhere this morning. All is well, and the castle can now return to its regular tranquility. It is fortunate, actually, that you and the good tutor are the first to greet Caspian and myself. I have a charge for you for the coming year."

Trumpkin cast as side glance at Caspian as he bowed to the lion, which the young king tried to avoid by looking to the dwarf's left. Little good it did him, for his gaze matched up with his tutor's twinkling eyes and knowing smile. He felt the blush spread to his ears, and prayed it wouldn't move to his cheeks. Aslan flicked his eyes to Caspian's, rumbled to him, and the young king felt an almost instant calm.

"Let us discuss our future plans over a nice, hearty breakfast. I've been told that break-neck riding creates a healthy appetite."

Caspian's stomach growled at Aslan's words.

---

Breakfast was a wonderful affair, what with the Great Lion in their midst. The staff presented a feast fit for a king, and the conversation flowed easily. Aslan charged Trumpkin and Dr. Cornelius with the run of the castle for the next year, and gave Caspian a second task to complete while on his voyage. He was to find the seven lords who had been exiled by his uncle Miraz after his father's murder. If he could not find the lords themselves, then he was to find out to what end they had come. Though Caspian worried about the amount of time he had been given to find Peter and the lords (which seemed less and less with every task charged to him) he kept in mind that Aslan would never charge him with an impossible task. He left breakfast that morning with his shoulders squared and a list in his mind of what he would need to pack.

Aslan stayed the rest of the week in the city, leading Caspian to the perfect crew (of which a certain mouse captain by the name of Reepacheep was ecstatic to be a part of), and holding council with the Narnians and Telmarines whom he passed on his way.

It was not long before the morning of the voyage's commencement arrived, bright and fair and full of promise. Caspian stood on the dock with Aslan, his new captain Drinian, and the rest of the _Dawn Treader _crew. He veritably trembled with excitement as he and Aslan made their final speeches to the people of Narnia, and it took almost everything in him not to go bounding up the gangplank in a very boyish way.

Aslan approached the king as he trailed his crew to the end of the dock, and wished him a safe and successful voyage.

"Now remember this: I will always be with you if you need me. Trust in your crew, and do not fret over the tasks I have charged you with. I have faith in you, my dearest young Narnian king." And with that, Aslan gave Caspian a lion's kiss and sent him on his way.

Caspian boarded the ship with a light heart and a sense of bashful pride that had been invoked in him by Aslan's words. The Captain called out the orders after getting a nod from Caspian, the ship was untied from the dock, a cheer was lifted from the crowd on land, and with a mighty roar from Aslan that seemed to fill their sails the _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_ began.

"Peter, my love," Caspian murmured to the horizon as he stood at the bow of the ship. "I'm coming for you."

---

AN: I know that I've changed how the _Dawn Treader_ is made, but it fits my story. ;) I'm sorry that it's taking so long for me to turn out chapters, but I promise that I'll try to get at least one more out before I have to make a big move. Sorry to those of you who are also watching my "In The Dark, In My Soul, I do Cry for You", I am working on another chapter, but I seem to have a problem getting writing to flow for it right now.

Thanks again for sticking with me! Review, please! It makes my day.


	4. Three figures in the waves

The ship sailed on for days, first stopping at the known ports near Narnia, before sailing on into the uncharted waters near the Lone Islands. The weather had been fair so far, and Caspian had truly enjoyed sailing on the high sea with such a wonderful Captain and Crew. Drinian was a fantastic sailor, and was very fond of Caspian in his way. He allowed Caspian to trail him around the ship while he performed his duties as captain, and seemed to always have the time to answer Caspian's almost endless questions about this or that on board. It seemed, almost without his knowing it, that Drinian was training the young king into a fine sailor in his own right.

At first some of the other sailors had balked Caspian's help aboard, not because they didn't like him, but because he was their king. Caspian would have none of it and insisted that they treat him like any other sailor aboard.

"Everyone must pull his own weight. Why should I be any different?"

"And will you receive your lashes from the Captain, too, when you misbehave?" One sailor had asked Caspian with a straight and stern face. Caspian's eyes had grown incredibly large and fearful, and he had turned his begun to turn his stricken gaze to Drinian, himself, when the entire crew had burst into laughter. The sailor who had asked him the question clapped the youth on the back, and with a jovial face had exclaimed: "No fears, my liege! No Captain that isn't a pirate lashes his crew anymore! How barbaric would that be? Not to mention the mutinies it would cause! No, Drinian is a fair and just captain. Now smile for us, lad."

And Caspian, though feeling incredibly foolish for believing the sailor in the first place, had smiled and apologized for thinking anything less of Drinian. Drinian, for his part, had slung his arm around Caspian's shoulders and forgiven him.

"Though don't think I won't add to your chores (which _you_ seem to insist on having) if you do jeopardize another crewman's life in some folly. It is the same for everyone on board, myself included."

"I would expect no less." Caspian had replied earnestly.

"There's a good lad." And Drinian had tweaked Caspian's nose when the rest of the crew was turned away.

Drinian was like the father Caspian had never gotten the chance to know. He was a strong man, a good leader, and a stern believer in fair play and honesty. He was old enough to remember Caspian IX, and young enough to relate to Caspian X on an equal level. He respected Caspian as king (even insisting that he have the cabin for his chambers), but did not let Caspian get away with too much folly.

He was also a perfect counter to Reepicheep.

The mouse was a driving force on the ship. He was always ready for adventure, and was constantly lecturing whoever would listen about the importance of chivalry and bravery and every other aspect of knighthood that he could think of at the time. He was the type who wanted to charge into any battle, and right any wrong. His seeming blindness to caution often drove Drinian up the wall, but the mouse and the man were fond of each other. Reep respected Drinian's knowledge and steadfastness, and Drinian respected Reep's morals. Reep often stood with Caspian to talk about the adventures to come, and would listen to Caspian's hopes over a well-played game of chess.

---

It was only a few weeks into the voyage that the sea decided to give the _Dawn Treader_ her first test of strength and durability. The winds picked up, and the ship was whipped around by a mighty gale that billowed the sails almost to their capacity. The ship crested the waves and dove down each slop of water with a speed that sent Caspian's stomach into his throat and would sometimes lift his feet off the deck as he held onto the rigging that what his station.

All of the sailors did their part, and they all actually seemed to enjoy riding the sea as she tossed the sturdy ship over each new wave. Caspian heard Reep give out a mighty laugh as he, himself, let out a whoop (much like one on a roller costar who loves that second and third drop of the cars over the hills). Drinian smiled to the youth as he stood at the helm.

"You're handling this rather well, my king!" He called out in his own laughing voice.

"I like it!"

"I knew you would! This is just enough to test our ship without endangering the crew! Let's hope the sea continues to favor us with gales of this size, only!"

As Drinian finished talking, a cry came from the bow of the ship:

"Man overboard!"

Immediately, Drinian's face lost its playfulness, and everyone who could be spared rushed to the bow. As Caspian looked out, he could swear that he recognized the figures in the water.

"Edmund! Lucy!" He cried, and before anyone could stop him, he had jumped overboard.

"Caspian!" Many of the ship's inhabitants cried after their king, and they quickly set about bringing the ship alongside the figures in the water.

The winds began to die down and the waves ceased their tossing just as Caspian grabbed a hold of the first figure in the water. A rope was thrown to him and, with the help of the crew, he hauled up the three children.

When they were all safely on deck, Caspian took a closer look and beamed at the three standing in front of him.

"I knew it! Edmund! Lucy!" He gave a joyful cry, which was echoed by the Pevensies, and threw his arms around each of them in turn.

"Caspian!" They each called as they returned his embrace. They were so overjoyed to be back in Narnia, and seeing a familiar face made it even better.

The reunion (as you will all guess) was, of course, spoiled by Eustace.

(I will not waste your time or mine with what Eustace said, for I'm sure you have all read the books and, really, Eustace was just too terrible in his hemming and hawing that I don't feel like justifying him by repeating his horrid exclamations. Suffice to say that Caspian was shocked, the Pevensies were annoyed, and everyone half wished that Caspian had left him overboard. Reepicheep, most of all, detested the loudmouthed youth.)

---

When evening came, and the Pevensies and Eustace were settled in (Drinian had had a word with Caspian about his recklessness while the other youths were washing up. Caspian had blushed, but hadn't been sorry about bringing them aboard. Drinian had told him that he was right to bring them, but had told him to warn a captain next time. Caspian had smiled and actually hugged the surprised captain.), Caspian had sat down with Lucy and Edmund and had demanded to hear about everything he had missed since they last left.

"How are you? How are your siblings?" He asked, eyes alight with joy and curiosity. These two Pevensies were so much better, and kinder, than their dream counterparts whom he had encountered the day before Aslan's appearance. He felt the urge to gather them up into a great hug just for that fact. He contented himself with holding Lucy, who had seated herself on his lap, closer to himself. She smiled at him with strangely knowing eyes, as if she could see in him how much he had missed them.

"You mean 'How is Peter?' don't you?" She teased in her adorable girl-child voice. He smiled at her before burying his blush in her hair.

"Yes," He murmured in playful annoyance and bashfulness. He tried to make it sound flat, but it came out almost as a giggle. Edmund laughed at him, and he shot Edmund a dirty look, but refused to stop trying to hide in Lucy's hair. It smelled too good, and he found that he had missed each of their distinct smells in their absence. He almost started when he realized that he knew each one well enough to _be able to distinguish_ their smells. How curious.

When their laughter began to wane, Edmund drew himself up and became serious.

"Peter has been, well, down." He said, somberly.

"'Down'? 'Down' where?"

"No," Ed couldn't help but be a little amused at the translation gap. "Not 'down' as in a place, 'down' as in sad!"

"Oh," Caspian said, lifting up to rest his chin atop Lucy's soft hair. He frowned, and almost became lost in himself before Lucy nudged him.

"That's why we're here, isn't it?" She asked him, trying to tilt her head up without dislodging his chin. "To help you deal with not having him here?"

"Oh, no!" Caspian exclaimed, moving to face the valiant queen. "Aslan didn't tell you? I'm on a quest to bring you four here, I mean to Narnia, permanently!"

Both Pevensies gave a start, and looked at Caspian in surprised wonder.

"Permanently?" Edmund parroted. Caspian nodded, but his expression was open as if he didn't know how they would react to the news. "Why, that's fantastic! Susan won't like it but…"

"Oh, bother Susan!" Lucy cut in, shooting Edmund a look before turning back to Caspian. "I think that's one of the most wonderful things I've ever heard! You mean we won't be sent back a few years into the future?

"That's what 'permanently' means, Lu." Ed teased. Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, and he mimed catching it between his thumb and forefinger. She scowled at him in mock outrage. Caspian laughed and squeezed her closer, thus distracting her from her sibling rivalry. She squeezed him back, her arms around his neck and her cheek squashed to his, feeling his smile against hers. He really would be a wonderful addition to their family, she thought happily, if he was ever allowed to marry Peter as she hoped he would.

"Oh, Caspian," She sighed, pulling back to face him again. "I hope you succeed in your quest. You've got us, so that's got to count for something!"

"What did you mean 'Susan won't like it?"

The two younger siblings looked at each other.

"Susan's been different since our last trip. She's become almost shallow, and she even tried to tell me a few days ago that it was just a game!" Lucy was obviously upset. Caspian once again hugged her close.

"I'm sorry." He said, sincerely.

"I think she's just trying to cope," Said Edmund. "We now know about your quest, but we're already here. She and Pete still think that they're stuck in our world for the rest of their lives."

"Do you think she'll turn down the chance to come to Narnia if I succeed in my quest."

There was a long silence, and then Lucy said, quietly:

"I hope not, but only Aslan knows our hearts. I have no idea what Susan will decide."

They both looked at Caspian very seriously, then. The young Telmarine fought a shudder.

"I'll tell you our decision, though, if you succeed," Ed murmured, moving to sit very close to Caspian and slipping an arm around his back. He turned to his sister, who nodded, before fixing Caspian with an intense stare. "then WE are staying. With you. With Peter. In Narnia. _Permanently._"

Caspian smiled then, letting out a breathe he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and gathered both Ed and Lucy into his arms. He ignored Edmund's grunt of mock annoyance, and simply held the Just king closer to himself, burying his face now in _both_ of their hair where the two rested their heads together on his chest.

"Thank you," Caspian whispered to them, voice too choked with emotion for anything louder. "Thank you, so very much."

Caspian prayed to Aslan that night, and thanked him immensely for the gift of Edmund and Lucy. He even said a small thanks for Eustace, whatever his purpose on the voyage was.

-----

AN: Again, I own nothing but the clothes on my back, the things in the moving boxes, and the BA diploma sitting on my bed waiting to be packed.

Please read a review, and try to ignore any typos that I've missed in my haste to produce a chapter and still get on with packing.


	5. Misunderstandings

AN:

Hello All! Yes, I'm back with a new chappy. ;) Before I begin, I'd like to address a few notes sent to me by an anon (Labeled "abc ()" in the "from" line, with no log in). (If you want responses, you need to LOG IN). I only respond here because I had no other way. I usually ignore flames, but this one couldn't be passed by.

As a disclaimer: Readers are welcome to skip the following AN. Just scroll down the the "KCPPKCPPKCPP" line to find the start of the actual chapter. The following response contains mentions of past chapters, redundant action explanations, spoilers for the books "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis, and C.S. Lewis' take on faith and his penning of the Chronicles. I don't like being attacked. It makes me not want to continue the storyline. I _will_ continue, though, because I adore this story.

1.) ABC Note: "-you never say what his destination was/is. since you had him go to aslan's how; i'm assuming you had him go to the stone slab aslan was slain upon?"

Answer: I did mention his destination in Chapter 2: "[he] scaled what was left of the rock face **up ****to ****where ****he ****had ****once ****sat ****with ****his ****tutor**."

I mentioned in my fist AN that I would be taking themes from both the movie and the book. In the movie, he sits with his tutor after the confrontation with the White Witch.

This goes for any flames: Reference your flame before sending it. I accept criticism, but not when it's about something that isn't actually an issue.

2.) ABC Note: "another chapter with a hysterical caspian- making 2 in a row- is kinda going over board with the drama-"

Answer: Have you read the original "Prince Caspian" and/or "The Voyage of the _Dawn__Treader_" by C.S. Lewis? For lack of a better explanation, Caspian's emotions are almost always close to the surface, and he's quick to feel hurt and anger (Read the chapter in _Treader_ where Caspian is refused the chance to see the end of the world). I adore his character (read: each character in the original, written series), but part of the draw is the character's raw touch with emotion.

I warn you now, I write emotional characters WHILE trying to stick with the feeling of the original series and/or movie. I'm not C.S. Lewis. I'm not Disney and/or Fox. I'm me. This is how I write.

3.) ABC Note: last chapter you just mentioned that caspian had to go on a voyage- you didn't say it was going to be a year- like you did this chapter.

Answer: Aslan told Caspian in the first chapter that he would be sent on the voyage, should the King accept the terms. He now (in this chapter) tells him the length of the voyage. AGAIN I SAY, I'm pulling from the books and the movie. In the books, Aslan only gives each character the amount of information they can handle, and then adds on to that information as the books progress. I'd rather _not_ give my readers all the information in one chapter. This isn't a text book or a term paper. I don't have to wrap up every chapter neatly. In fact, if I did, everyone (including myself) would be terribly bored.

I also like to give my readers something to imagine and ponder for themselves, before either confirming or denying their assumptions.

AND FINALLY (My responses to this are interspersed throughout the text in **bold)**ABC NOTE:

" "The next time you see him, he will have died in his own world.")

well that's bull. (_**That**__**'**__**s **_**how ****C.S.****Lewis ****originally ****intended ****the ****ending. ****Take ****it ****up ****with ****him. ****He****'****s ****buried ****in the ****church yard ****of ****Holy ****Trinity ****Church, ****in ****Oxford.)**cause this is now the 2nd time they've shown up there

without having to die to do it. [**You ****really ****haven****'****t ****read ****the ****books, ****have ****you? ****After**** "****Prince ****Caspian****" ****(IN ****WHICH ****ASLAN ****INFORMS ****PETER ****AND ****SUSAN ****THAT ****THEY ****WILL **_**NEVER **__**RETURN **__**TO **__**NARNIA**_**)****Peter ****is ****not ****seen ****again ****until**** "****The ****Last ****Battle****"****, ****after ****being **_**killed **__**in **__**a **__**train **__**crash**_**]**and aslan already plans on bringing lucy and edmund back without them having to die [**Edmund ****and ****Lucy ****are ****younger, ****and ****still ****in ****need ****of ****guidance...read ****the ****books. ****Also, ****if ****Caspian ****hadn****'****t ****kept ****his ****side ****of ****the ****bargain, ****Ed ****and ****Lucy ****would ****only ****return ****to **_**visit**_**, ****not ****to ****stay ****for ****good.]**- and he/you/the movie_ never explain

why they can't come back [**READ ****THE ****BOOKS]**. it's ok for Aslan to pull them out of their own world- without asking them- and make them fight a war that's not there's-

risking their lives- and then when they've done aslan's work for him- he sends

them back against their wills [**Ok. ****Here ****is ****a ****lesson ****on ****the ****author ****of ****the ****original ****Chronicles. ****Aslan ****was ****C.S.****Lewis****' ****representation ****of ****God/Jesus ****in ****Narnia. ****READ ****THE ****BOOKS. ****And ****C.S.****Lewis****' ****biography, ****while ****you****'****re ****at ****it. ****When ****has ****God ****EVER ****asked ****someone****'****s ****opinion? ****Speaking ****from ****an ****intellectual ****point ****of ****view, ha****ving ****studied ****theology****(and ****meaning ****no ****offense ****to ****anyone)****God ****never ****asked ****his ****prophets ****if ****they ****wanted ****to ****be ****prophets****(regardless ****of ****the ****religion ****from ****which ****they ****hail). ****Never ****asked ****Moses ****if ****he ****wanted ****to ****be ****a ****prophet. ****Never ****asked ****Mary ****if ****she ****wanted ****to ****be ****the ****mother ****of ****God. ****Yes, ****they ****had ****a**** "****choice****"****, ****but ****he ****chose ****people ****he knew ****would ****follow...Aslan ****doesn****'****t ****ask ****the ****Pevensies. ****He ****knows ****they****'****ll ****obey. ****He ****is ****the**** "****Lord****" ****of ****Narnia. ****This ****is ****all ****explained ****in ****C.S.****Lewis****' ****biography, ****and ****his ****thoughts ****on ****the ****books.****].**. i think they said that peter and his sister had learned what they needed to in narnia so they didn't need to come back- what kind of b.s. is that. aslan also said that he appears in their world - so he didn't need to pull them to Narnia to teach them- he could have done it on our earth. but that has nothing to do with your story- sorry."

AN: Look. It's fine if people have questions about the story for me. Again, I LOVE REVIEWS! I'll answer anyone who messages me, and I love my readers, dearly. BUT, please make sure you have your facts straight (no pun intended) before attacking an author's work. It's also rude to post attack-replies that can't be answered. I've had other reviews like this, and I apologize to the above reviewer who just happened to be the straw that broke this author's wits.

As for the final thought from this author: I understand your rant, but you _really_ need to read the original books, as well as a biography of the beloved author. "The Chronicles of Narnia" was C.S. Lewis' way of celebrating his rekindled love of christianity and faith. For _years_ before the series, Lewis had considered himself an atheist. The tales of Aslan and the Pevensie children were his way of bringing the basic ideas of christianity (love and personal sacrifice) to the younger population in a way that was appealing.

Now. This story is an "alternate ending story", with themes that (obviously) _were__not_ in the original works. I do not own the original works. I'm doing this for fun, and for the shared enjoyment of other ship fans. You don't have to understand the original work to enjoy this story, but please willfully suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the ride!

I always welcome reviews, but please do NOT send multiple, scathing reviews through an anon post. This is _supposed__to__be__fun__and__games,_ not a battle between those of us who use this as an escape and those who take things WAY too far. It's Fan Fiction, for Aslan's sake! If you can't enjoy it, what's the point? I didn't think being a fan meant opening yourself to flagellation. Oy!

I apologize to my readers who had to sit through that. You're all gold.

*blows out the temporary frustration, and bakes cookies to hand out*

Caspian had never imagined that his first adventure of the voyage would be becoming a slave in his own land!

They had set course for the Lone Islands, not too far (relatively speaking) from the very shores of Narnia.

_What __would __Peter __think __of __me? _Caspian wondered in despair, _If __he __were __to __know how __I__'__d __let __his __family __and __friend __be __captured __and __sold __for __a __price __at __auction?_

He thanked his lucky stars (and sent a prayer to Aslan) then, when he discovered his "owner" to be none other than one of the missing lords.

Bern was a kind man with an honest heart. Upon discovering Caspian's true identity, he had been more than willing to help overturn the horror that was the slave trade happening in the Lone Islands. When the governor was removed from his position, and all the slaves set free, Caspian was never so pleased as when he placed Bern as _Duke_ of the Islands.

Where for a minute he had felt a deep fear of never recovering his love, his friends, or his freedom, he now rejoiced in the new governing of his distant lands. He looked forward to a return.

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Now, I'm sure you all know of the storm that the crew encountered after leaving the Lone Islands, and of the long stretch of calm seas and little wind that had them rationing their water and searching for land. But, it is the conversations that passed between the Pevensies and the young king that I now relay to you.

We all know that Eustace was a beastly little boy before his mishap with that gold ring, but who could have imagined the hate that could spew out of his mouth when he discovered the main reason for the whole voyage (beyond the search for the lost lords).

"You're a _what?__"_ He screeched, sneer firmly fixed as he backed away from the seated once and current monarchs. Caspian blinked up at him with a confused air, while Lucy frowned and Edmund's face flushed red with barely suppressed anger.

"I'm a King, of course," Caspian replied, not understanding Eustace's need to ask in such a wretched tone. He thought the youth had already known that he was King of Narnia.

"Leave him be, Eustace," Edmund growled softly. He and Lucy knew Eustace's true meaning behind the question, and both were loathe to hear such words spoken in Narnia. If they could stop Eustace before he uttered them, they could at least spare Caspian the hurt. Too bad they couldn't spare themselves the knowledge of what their cousin was implying by asking...screeching... the question in that tone.

"Oh no, I know you're a monarch," Eustace snapped, "But maybe you should call yourself 'queen'?"

"That's _enough_, Eustace!" Edmund made to rise, seeing the intent in Eustace's eyes and the confusion in Caspian.

"Or, wait... We're in a _magical_land, right?" Eustace was glaring gleefully at an unsuspecting Caspian. "How about something that starts with 'f', like say Fai-"

"I SAID, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Edmund shouted as he lunged for the shorter boy.

Eustace seemed to remember his supposed frailty (as well as his self-preservation) in that moment, and cowered back as his cousin snarled in his face, his arms held captive in Edmund's angry and bruising grip.

"You will speak no such words in _my__land._ Do you hear me, boy?" Edmund seemed all at once himself, and a man twice his age. His eyes flashed and his teeth gleamed, his face a mask of righteous rage. "Your prejudice is unwelcome, and uncalled for. You are a _guest._ And you would do well to remember this fact, before the good King throws you overboard, just to be done with you! Am I understood?"

Eustace nodded meekly, squeaking as Edmund released him and gave him a shove towards the sleeping quarters.

"You will stay in your hammock for the rest of the day," Edmund ordered, leaving no room for argument. "I want you out of my sight, before I do something rash that I may regret."

Eustace couldn't run to his bunk fast enough.

Once the boy was out of sight, Edmund seemed to return to his normal size and age, turning to nod once at Lucy before regaining his seat in their makeshift circle. Lucy reached out to card her fingers through her brother's hair, calming him as he breathed out the last of his anger.

"I'm sorry," Caspian murmured into the silence. "But, what was that?"

Edmund and Lucy exchanged a look, before Ed turned to Caspian with apologetic eyes.

"There's no need to apologize, Caspian. In fact, I believe I owe you one. I seem to have given an order without your consent."

"He is your cousin. You have say over your own family. I Only ask why you were angry with him? He seemed perturbed, but I couldn't catch the reason."

Edmund heaved a sigh, taking Caspian's hands into his own.

"Caspian, there is something you need to understand about _our_world," Edmund began, glancing at Lucy as he stressed the word. "Some things which are readily accepted in Narnia are punishable by the law in England.

The relationship you share with Peter... in our world, you'd be put on trial for it. You'd be sent to jail for being lovers, both of you. Eustace has been raised to believe that for two men to love each other is a sin. He was fixing to call you a horrific name for people of the same sex who share a romantic relationship.

What he said...said '_You__'__re __a __what?_", he wasn't asking if you were a king... he was trying to attack you for your love of Peter. He was trying to call you... something horrid."

Caspian sat in shock. "But why is 'queen' bad? Lucy is a 'queen'-"

"Yes, but in our world, for a man to be called a queen...in a derogatory way...is to try and strip him of his masculinity...It's all very complicated, but suffice to say, that Eustace calling you a 'queen' was a verbal jab from him. There are worse words he was gearing up to use, and that is why I stopped him and sent him below. I couldn't stand to hear them, not here in Narnia. And I couldn't stand to have my future brother-in-law treated so shamefully."

Caspian sat back, the hurt that Ed had tried to spare him written all over his face.

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AN:There will be more! Sorry it's short. I have an idea for the next few chapters, but it's late I have commitments tomorrow. Night!


	6. Battles

Caspian Chapter 6

Caspian didn't know how to handle Eustace and all if his... Well, he didn't even know what to call them. Opinions?

"_Issues,_" Edmund had stated, once.

The young Telmarine king was sure he'd done nothing to warrant Eustace's distain for him, and yet the young cousin of Lucy and Ed seemed set on hating almost everything about Caspian. And he let everyone know about it. Loudly.

From his hair to his clothing, his dark looks to his supposedly "ridiculous" attire (he saw nothing different in his clothing from the next Narnian), Eustace tore and verbally rendered every piece of Caspian. It was almost unbearable.

"Don't mind him, dear Caspian," Lucy tried to sooth as they sat near the main mast. "He seems almost allergic to pleasantness. It's not you, darling."

But, Caspian couldn't shake the feeling that it actually _was_ him.

Was this part of his trials to getting Peter? Was he supposed to convince Eustace that his love for Peter was true? Worthy? That, despite his seemingly foreign looks and tongue, he loved Peter above all else? Above himself?

That wasn't a hard point to prove. He'd given a year of his life and laughter in order to earn the right to even _sail_ the ship in search of the end of the world. In search of _Peter._

"I love him dearly," Caspian insisted to Ed. "More than myself. More than my own _worth in LIFE!_ Only Aslan holds a higher place than my love for your brother. Though, I do love you and your sisters-"

"I know, young King," Ed would have laughed, if the subject hadn't been such a serious one. "You don't need to convince _anyone_ of your love for my brother."

"But, Eustace-"

"Has brought with him a multitude of prejudices that have _nothing _to do with you, or even Narnia. I know you feel as if you need to prove something to him, or as if maybe his scorn is part of this trial by voyage, but it's not. Trust me. I have a feeling Eustace is on this voyage for himself, not for you."

They had no idea how right Ed would turn out to be.

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The whole slavery fiasco was _terrifying_ for everyone. Caspian thanked his lucky stars, and Aslan that he'd been picked up by a familiar face. How sad it would have been if he'd been permanently waylaid, forced to be a slave and never again see freedom or the ones he loved. Never to _find_ his freedom. His Peter.

It was with no little feeling of satisfaction that he ended the slavery on that tiny island not so far from the heart of his kingdom. He would check the island more thoroughly once he returned. He would make sure that his people thrived. (He would also make sure that , should he bring his love to the island, there would be no chance of someone separating himself and his darling for slave traders and buyers.)

The dragon fiasco was almost _worse._

Why Eustace felt the need to _wear_ the armband was beyond Caspian. Every Narnian knew that unknown objects were to be treated with care. He felt terrible for the young lad, regardless of his former treatment by the boy-now-dragon.

The only saving grace seemed to be that Reepicheep had come to some kind of understanding with the Eustace-dragon. They could often be found in each other's company, and Eustace actually made himself _useful_ as he never had in human form.

Caspian tried not to think about how he would explain to Peter that his young cousin was now a dragon.

He also tried not to dwell on just how thankful he was when, by Aslan's grace, Eustace returned to his original form. Not the least of which because he now didn't have to really explain anything unless it was in past-story-not-current-condition form.

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The rest of the Voyage is as you will recall it to be. But, thankfully, that really isn't the focus of _this _story. No, _this story_ is about Peter and Caspian.

You see, They made it to Ramandu's Island. They met his daughter, and saw the lords at the table.

This. _This_ is where Caspian's true test began. Ramandu's daughter was lovely, and truly a kindhearted being. She wished no ill, and no fame or fortune. She was radiant.

Though Caspian's heart lay with Peter, he was not blind to her appeal.

As the ship sailed towards the horizon, a feeling began to tug at Caspian. It was almost like doubt, but not nearly as unsettling. The feeling became thought, and the thought became whispers.

_What if she were your queen? The daughter of a star, the queen of Narnia._

Caspian shook his head. He would have no other but Peter.

_But what a lovely queen she would be. Gentle and kind. Loved by all. _

Again, Caspian shook himself. Peter was already a well-loved Narnian King. He was gentle and kind. And Magnificent. Peter the Magnificent.

_Ah, but she could bear you children. Wouldn't that be nice?_

Well, Caspian had always wanted a family of his own. After his uncle's betrayal, he'd often thought to himself that he'd like to raise a family to be true. Like his father.

_Yes. Lovely children raised by King Caspian and his humble wife. Grandchildren of a star. Golden and shining, like her hair. _

'That _would _ be lovely,' Caspian thought to himself, 'For surely her children would be lovely like her. Lovely and shining and golden like...'

He threw himself upright from where he'd started to list on the railing. 'Like Peter! Golden like the gold of _Peter's _hair! _Not_ like Ramandu's Daughter!'

At the adamant thought of his love, the ship seemed to rock violently forward, as if pushed from behind. The sailors and Pevensies gave a shout, each looking as dazed as Caspian felt. They looked around them as a great vapor came up over the stern of the ship.

It washed over the deck and rushed towards the inhabitants. A great rumbling and crashing came as each being took up arms and braced themselves against whatever magic this seemed to be.

And there! A monster, bigger than the ship, rose from the water and turned its' great and terrifying head towards the _Dawn Treader_.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The Narnians all turned their eyes from the monster to the vapor and back. Once.

And then the battle raged.

The monster attacked as the vapor curled around the ship and its' occupants. It whispered their greatest fears and their deepest desires into their ears, lashing out and pulling focus and trying desperately to weaken the minds and spirits of the crew.

The battle came to a head with Reep shouting his battle to the four winds as the vapor turned all of its' rage and power on Caspian, engulfing him in a bright green smoke.

_DON'T YOU WANT TO LIVE A CHARMED LIFE?_

It cried in a multitude of terrible voices.

_DON'T YOU WANT YOUR PEOPLE TO BE BLESSED WITH THE BLESSINGS OF THE HEAVENS? WHAT MORE HEAVENLY COULD THERE BE THAN A STAR? THE FAMILY OF A STAR? _

_YOU COULD RULE THE WHOLE OF THE WORLD! YOU COULD TIE YOURSELF TO THE HEAVENS! YOU COULD HAVE CHILDREN BORN OF THE HEAVENS!_

"NO!" Caspian cried, slicing his sword through the mists and thick fog. "MY LOVE IS MY CHARM! I WILL RULE ONLY WHAT I AM GIVEN BY GRACE! MY TIE TO THE HEAVENS WILL BE MY LOVE FOR ASLAN!"

And with the mighty yell of the great Lion's name, Caspian shattered the mist. It curled around itself like a dying thing, writhing from its' death throws in the face of the name of Narnia's true Lord, and burst into a thousand sparks before shimmering into nothing.

Caspian looked around to find his crew lying around the deck and railing in various stated of winded exhaustion. Even Reepicheep, always ready for a battle, was resting back to back with Lucy and gasping for breath.

Monster was gone, and the seas were calm. And there, on the deck, stood the Lion himself. Aslan.

"You have done well, my son," The great Lion rumbled as he looked on Caspian. A great twinkle of pride shown in his eyes.

"Aslan," Caspian cried, dropping his sword and fairly fell into the Lion's great rumbling chest, which rumbled with a soothing purr the moment Caspian was rested against it. A paw came round to pull Caspian closer, and hold him as he shook.

"Aslan!" Lucy and Edmund cried, as well. They came to bury their faces in Aslan's mane, and the rest of the Narnian's gathered to kneel at the Lion's sides and feet.

"My Lord," Reep said solemnly, giving a great bow that Aslan acknowledged with gentle nod, careful not to dislodge the Pevensies or bump the young King.

"All is well, my king. My children," Aslan rumbled as Caspian and the Pevensies gently pulled away to sit at the Lion's feet. "As have you, young Eustace."

The company turned to find a wholly human and humble Eustace standing off to the side. He seemed to have a silent conversation with himself and then the Lion, before moving forward the embrace of the great, golden mane.

"And now you are here!" The Lion exclaimed jovially, turning his head to the horizon. "The end of the world."

He turned back to face Caspian.

"You've fulfilled all the tasks laid before. Fought the darkness and the monsters. You've proven yourself worthy." Aslan smiled gently at Caspian. "Would you like to give Peter his choice, now?"

Caspian's eyes bugged for a moment. "Now?" He squeaked, then cleared his throat. "Now?"

Aslan chuckled. "Yes, dear one. You've shown me how much you really love him. Now, would you like me to fetch him?"

"Yes," Caspian breathed, having to be steadied by the hands of the King and Queen of Olde. "Yes, my Lord. Oh, please. Yes."

"Then sail on to the edge, my king."

And in short order, the company was on their way. The the edge of the World.

PPKCPPKCPPKCPPKCPPKCPPKC

AN: Well, there's another chapter, done! Whoot! I've mixed a bit of the book and the movie, here, to suit my needs. But hey! Fanfiction. Artistic license. ;) I hope you're enjoying it, so far. This is far from the end! Well, maybe not that far. But, will Peter say yes? Will they be reunited? We'll see! :)


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